Jimmy Dean often talked about his roots in Texas music. The country legend died Sunday. He was 81.

Dean died at his home near Richmond, Va. His wife, Donna, said he had been doing well lately, despite ongoing health problems.

Jimmy Dean and the Texas Wildcats

Dean dropped out of school after ninth grade. He fronted the Texas Wildcats band. He had his first national hit in the early 1950s, “Bummin’ Around.” His fame was immortalized with his Grammy Award-winning “Big Bad John” in 1961. He also had a popular television show in the early 1960s.